Channing Tatum has revealed that the Magic Mike sequel will not be as dark as the first film.

The 33-year-old actor, who will reprise his role as stripper Michael 'Magic Mike' Lane in the next instalment Magic Mike XXL, wants a balance between reality and ridiculousness. He is writing the screenplay with Reid Carolin.

"We don't want to make it some serious slice-of-life movie. We want to have real, like reality in it, but we don't want to make like some dark drama," he told MTV.

"There was some darkness in the last movie and I think it surprised people and shocked people. This one, we want to have a lot of conflict and a lot of struggle, but we also want there to be a s*** ton of fun."

Greg Jacobs will direct Magic Mike XXL, which will be released in July 2015.

Channing, who received the Trailblazer gong at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards, revealed that Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey will return as show-runner Dallas.

"It's the most McConaughey that we've seen in a movie, not just physically... It's just him," he said.

"He's not the stripper from Tampa, but it's just his personality. He such a believer. He's such an extraordinary. He believes in every single thing he does whole-heartedly. That's Dallas. If he's selling ice to an Eskimo, he just believes that the Eskimo needs this ice."

But he added: "I think everyone's gonna be back, I think, and obviously nobody's deals are done."

Channing also revealed he has had meetings about playing X-Men mutant Gambit, saying: "I met with Lauren Shuler Donner. And I would love it. Gambit is really the only X-Man I've ever loved.

"If the stars align, I would die to play it. I'm already working on the accent. It's c****y at the moment."

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